Germany’s BioNtech CEO (CEO) predicted that the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) vaccine co-developed with Pfizer of the United States would provide strong protection against conversion to severe disease due to the new mutation, Omicron.
BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told Reuters on the 30th (local time), “It is expected that the efficacy of the vaccine will be partially reduced for moderate or mild symptoms caused by omicron mutation.”
Biontech is investigating whether the COVID-19 vaccine should be modified in response to Omicron.
To this end, we are analyzing blood samples of those who received two or three doses of Pfizer and Biontech vaccines to see if antibodies that can inactivate Omicron are found.
The investigation is expected to take two weeks.
“Even if the new mutation can evade the antibody, it will still be attacked by immune cells,” Sahin said in an interview with Dow Jones on the same day.
We need to speed up the booster shot,” he said.
/yunhap news
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